With a little help

To help raise funds for building a school for underprivileged children, about 20 kids from Delhi’s prominent schools came together to organise a cultural show.

The aim was to collect at least 15 lakhs through ticket sales and donations. The schoolchildren organised the event without any professional help. The show was interestingly called ‘With a little help from my friends’.

‘‘What better way than this, to put our summer break to good use? We heard that the school was in need of funds and people in Delhi like theatre, dance, and music. So about 20 of us, all friends, collected for the cause,’’ said Sara, a Class 12 student of Vasant Valley School.

Several members of the group went to the makeshift building where the slum children are being taught and say this experience made their resolve even stronger. The school for which this fund raiser was being organised is Aparajita Bal Mandir and is based in CR Park, New Delhi. It has about 40 slum children on its rolls aged 4-12 years. It is being run by a group of women from the area, who founded the balvaadi way back in 1977. The children are given elementary education and taught basic life skills needed to get them admission in a normal MCD school.

The school functioned from homes and garages of members until the organisation applied for land to the DDA in 1989. After many a setback, land was finally allotted in 2002, but registration took another three years. After further delays the construction started but came to a halt due to lack of funds, as the organisation runs only on funds given by members. To meet the construction deadline by September 2009, additional funds of Rs 15 lakh are needed and this is where the schoolchildren have stepped in.

By using their talent and utilising their vocational training, the 20 children have come forward to help other underprivileged children get the benefit of education. The volunteers are blessed with a privileged background and have the good fortune of attending premium educational institutes. However, instead of taking their blessings for granted, they chose to spread cheer among other children not as fortunate as themselves. As long as the future is being shaped by conscientious and caring children such as these 20 volunteers, we can safely assume that hope still floats!Source: The Times of India